The Human Cost Of War: Examining The Soviet Wounded In Afghanistan

The Soviet-Afghan War, which lasted from 1979 to 1989, resulted in a large number of Soviet casualties. During the war, about 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed and about 35,000 were wounded. The war was fought between the Soviet-backed communist government of Afghanistan and the Mujahideen, who were supported by various foreign countries. The Soviets' massive military campaigns against the Mujahideen, who blended in with the local population, caused extensive destruction and loss of life, leading to a loss of support for the Soviet military presence and the emergence of a nationwide resistance. The Soviets eventually withdrew from Afghanistan, with the last troops leaving the country in February 1989.

The Soviet-Afghan War lasted from 1979 to 1989

The Soviet-Afghan War lasted from December 25, 1979, to February 15, 1989. The war was fought between the Soviet Union and the Afghan Mujahideen, who were supported by various countries, including the United States, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, China, and Iran. The war was a major conflict of the Cold War, with the Soviet Union and the United States backing opposing sides.

The war began when the Soviet Union, under the command of Leonid Brezhnev, invaded Afghanistan to support the local pro-Soviet government. The Soviets deployed their 40th Army, consisting of around 1,800 tanks, 80,000 soldiers, and 2,000 armoured fighting vehicles. The invasion was met with fierce resistance from the Mujahideen, who fought a guerrilla war in the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan. The Mujahideen were able to elude Soviet attacks and strike back, and the Soviets responded with heavy-handed tactics, bombing villages and levelling infrastructure to deny safe havens to the Mujahideen.

The war resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. It is estimated that around 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed, with another 35,000 wounded. On the Mujahideen side, around 90,000 fighters were killed, and approximately 1 million Afghan civilians lost their lives. The war also caused massive displacement, with millions of Afghans fleeing the country as refugees.

The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan was met with international condemnation and led to sanctions and embargoes. The war was a costly endeavour that strained the Soviet Union's military, economic, and political resources. By the mid-1980s, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev announced the beginning of a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was completed in February 1989. The Soviet-Afghan War is considered a significant factor in the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union supported the government while the Mujahideen rebels were backed by the US, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UK, and China

The Soviet-Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought between the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA) and the Soviet Union, alongside their paramilitary groups, against the Mujahideen rebels and their foreign fighters. The Mujahideen were backed by various countries and organisations, but the majority of their support came from Pakistan, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Kingdom and China.

The war was a major conflict of the Cold War, with the involvement of foreign powers making it a proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Mujahideen were a coalition of guerrilla groups that opposed the invading Soviet forces and eventually toppled the Afghan communist government. The Mujahideen were initially recruited and organised immediately after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979. The Mujahideen were made up of numerous groups that differed across ethnic and ideological lines, but were united by their anti-communist and pro-Islamic goals.

The Mujahideen were primarily supported by the United States, who provided arms and finances to the Afghan Mujahideen from 1979 to 1992, prior to and during the military intervention by the USSR. This support was known as Operation Cyclone and was one of the longest and most expensive covert CIA operations ever undertaken. The Mujahideen were also supported by the United Kingdom, who conducted their own separate covert actions. The Mujahideen were further supported by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Kingdom and China.

The Soviets' military campaigns caused extensive destruction of local infrastructure and loss of life, which turned the local population against them

The Soviet-Afghan War, which lasted from 1979 to 1989, was a major conflict of the Cold War. The Soviets' massive military campaigns against the Mujahideen, who blended in with the local population, caused extensive destruction of local infrastructure and loss of life, which turned the local population against them.

The Soviets' military tactics included using their aerial power to deal harshly with both Afghan resistance and civilians, levelling villages to deny safe haven to the Mujahideen, destroying vital irrigation ditches, and other scorched-earth tactics. The Soviets also laid millions of landmines across Afghanistan.

The Soviets' scorched-earth strategy involved carpet bombing cities and indiscriminately bombing villages, destroying entire villages, schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, factories, and orchards. The Soviets targeted areas that showed support for the Mujahideen, forcing the populace to flee the rural territories the communists were unable to control. The Soviets' tactics caused the deaths of approximately 3,000,000 Afghans, while millions more fled the country as refugees.

The Soviets' military campaigns also had a detrimental impact on the children of Afghanistan. A survey of Afghan refugee women and children in Quetta found that over 80% of children were unregistered, and child mortality was 31% (112/366 births). Of those who survived, 67% were severely malnourished, with malnutrition increasing with age.

The Soviets' invasion of Afghanistan also had a long-term impact on the country's women. The Soviets' tactics included abducting Afghan women in helicopters while flying in the country in search of Mujahideen. Women who were raped by Soviet soldiers were considered 'dishonoured' by their families if they returned home.

The Soviets' heavy loss of life during the war was one of the factors that brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union

The Soviet-Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought between the Soviet Union and the Afghan mujahideen. The war resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000,000 Afghans, while millions more fled the country as refugees. The Soviets' massive military campaigns against the mujahideen caused extensive destruction of local infrastructure and loss of lives, which made the local population side with the mujahideen. This resulted in a loss of support for the Soviet military presence and eventually created a nationwide resistance during the conflict.

The war also had a significant impact on the attitude of developing countries and the third world against the Soviet Union. The invasion of Afghanistan caused irreversible internal conflicts between the Soviet republics and the Soviet government. The Soviets' heavy loss of life during the war was one of many factors that brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Soviets' withdrawal from Afghanistan was staged and televised

The Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan was a carefully planned and executed operation, but it was also staged and televised.

The Soviet Union's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was made in October 1985, but the timetable was not set until February 1988. The Soviet 40th Army's retreat from Afghanistan took place in two phases: the first phase lasted from May 15 to August 15, 1988, and the second phase began in January and ended on February 15, 1989. The Soviets left Afghanistan via two routes: the western route ran from Kandahar to Kushka, and the eastern route ran from Kabul to Termez in Uzbekistan.

The Soviet withdrawal was televised and staged. The last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan was General Boris Gromov, who crossed the "Bridge of Friendship" on foot, accompanied by his son. This event was televised, and Gromov later said that his profanity-laden response to the waiting press was directed at "the leadership of the country".

The Soviets left Afghanistan with their "heads held high", but the announcement of a rigid timetable for the withdrawal limited their options. The Soviets were forced to hand over authority in certain provinces prematurely, creating vacuums that the overstretched Afghan army couldn't fill. This allowed the Mujahideen to control larger areas, particularly in Eastern Afghanistan.

The televised nature of the withdrawal, and the Soviets' adherence to the Geneva Accords, also emboldened the United States, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia to increase their support for the Mujahideen.

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